SME Announces 2026 ‘30 Under 30’ Class

Program recognizes emerging professionals whose achievements are helping shape the future of manufacturing

SOUTHFIELD, MI, UNITED STATES, October 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SME today announced its 2026 "30 Under 30" class, recognizing emerging manufacturing leaders whose innovation, technical excellence and community engagement are helping strengthen the industry's future workforce.

Profiles of the honorees are being published today on AdvancedManufacturing.org, SME Media’s hub for news and content. A print edition of the profiles will be included in the October issue of Manufacturing Engineering & Technology, SME Media’s flagship publication.

Honorees were selected based on the impact of their professional work as well as engagement with the manufacturing industry and their communities.

“The individuals we’re honoring represent the innovation, dedication and vision needed to advance manufacturing,” said Jake Volcsko, SME’s vice president of integrated media. “By recognizing their accomplishments, we not only celebrate their contributions, but also highlight the opportunities and impact manufacturing careers can have on our industry and communities.”

Each honoree receives a one-year SME membership, allowing them to connect with manufacturing professionals across the country and expand their professional networks, as well as participate in knowledge-sharing activities.

This year’s 30 Under 30 honorees are:
• Stephanie Chang, Skyworks Solutions Inc., Oak Park, Calif.
• Harshit Chawla, PhD, Amphenol TCS, Nashua, N.H.
• Aditya Chivate, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
• Clayton Cooper, PhD, Miami University, Cleveland, Ohio
• William Davis, The Boeing Co., Charleston, S.C.
• Prathiksha Ramprasad Dhanpal, Ampere Computing LLC, Santa Clara, Calif.
• Daniel Eckstein, Lockheed Martin Space, Santa Clara, Calif.
• Gage Ferraro, 3D Printing with Gage, Stuart, Fla.
• Tanishka Gadewar, MIT World Peace University, Pune Division, Maharashtra, India
• Jiaao Guan, PhD, Cellink, University of California - San Diego, San Diego, Calif.
• Lauren Heinrich, PhD, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Hendersonville, Tenn.
• Jireh Jackson, Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas
• Sai Ashish Kumar Karanam, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.
• Maggie Lashutka, Myrava Inc., Fairview Park, Ohio
• Caroline Massey, PhD, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md.
• Prerana Panchumarti, The Boeing Co., Auburn, Wash.
• Krunal Patel, Applied Materials Inc., San Francisco Bay Area
• Jishnu Patel, Global CNC Industries Ltd., Westland, Mich.
• Matt Perham, Tesla Inc., Austin, Texas
• Shreeram Raghupathy, Kennametal Inc., La Vergne, Tenn.
• Atilla Saadat, Varda Space Industries, El Segundo, Calif.
• Amrutha Sampath, NXP Semiconductors, Austin, Texas
• Andrew Sauder, Designetics Inc., Wauseon, Ohio
• Shashwat Singh, Wolfspeed Inc., Fayetteville, Ark.
• Kusum Subedi, Lafayette College, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Trent Trout, Saline High School, Saline, Mich.
• Joseph Williams, General Motors, Detroit, Mich.
• Dremere Woods, Honda Development and Manufacturing of America LLC, Birmingham, Ala.
• Dharani Jaya Yakkaluru, Apple Inc., Cupertino, Calif.
• Khalil Zbiss, PhD, General Motors, Dearborn, Mich.

Full biographies of all honorees are available at AdvancedManufacturing.org.

About SME
Established in 1932 as a nonprofit organization, SME represents the manufacturing industry, including manufacturers, academia, professionals, students, and the communities in which they operate. We believe manufacturing holds the key to economic growth and prosperity, and champion the industry's potential as a diverse, thriving and valued ecosystem. SME accelerates new technology adoption and builds talent and capabilities to advance manufacturing and drive competitiveness, resiliency, and national security. SME designs new ways to understand and solve problems, and our solutions advance the next wave of growth in manufacturing. Learn more at SME.org.

Brie Smith
SME
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